Zoe: Updates on the Rights of Migrant Workers

 

Hey Everyone!

In this blog post we will be focusing on our second topic, the rights of migrant workers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. There have not been many major developments in this topic since we were writing the Topic Synopsis this summer. However, the role of COVID-19 and its impact on migrant workers in the Arab states has only grown in importance in the past few months. 

The case study we highlighted in the Topic Synopsis was from an NPR report in May 2020, which stated that migrant workers were among the worst hit by COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf states. According to the country’s Health Ministry, in Saudi Arabia more than 76% of the 3,000 daily new cases were non-Saudi residents. This is largely attributed to poor working conditions, substantial occupational safety hazards, healthcare deficits, and weak labor inspections aimed at preventing human rights violations. 

However, NPR reported that this dramatic increase of cases forced Gulf countries to turn their attention towards improving the conditions these migrant workers live in. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states announced that they will provide free testing to their migrant populations. Bahrain was reported to be using schools as extra housing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in previously cramped facilities.

These improvements certainly looked promising in May, however, let’s check in and see whether they led to any substantial long-term improvements. According to The Center for Global Development in a report published in October 2020, there have been some crucial movements towards reform. As of September, migrant workers in Qatar were authorized to change jobs without needing their employer's position, as they did under the Kafala system. Other countries have enacted expansive measures to effectively dismantle the Kafala system, such as improving access to healthcare for migrant workers, extending VISAs, and forcing private companies to provide accommodations. 

However, The Center for Global Development is not optimistic that these changes will bring about region-wide, long-lasting improvements. There is still a much larger population of migrants interested in coming to work in the region than there are opportunities, placing these workers at a disadvantage. The lower the bargaining power of migrant workers, the more possibility there is for exploitation. The organization claims that it will take more than the COVID-19 pandemic to change practices permanently.

Zoe Bloomfield